Full disclosure: In my eyes, Chef Edward Lee can do no wrong. So, I’m biased writing this story. But in all honesty, I have been to Milkwood twice and had wonderful meals there both times. The atmosphere in this basement location of Actors Theatre is cozy and hip and offers family-style seating and a sense of communal enjoyment. We had a chance to sit and chat with the famous chef last time we ate there. And, we didn’t talk shop for one minute. We talked and laughed about his baby daughter is who is now mobile and very adventurous. As much as I wanted to ask him about all his Top Chef experiences and other secrets of the trade, I refrained and just enjoyed the moment (and kept my inner stalker hidden).
The sun sets (and possibly rises too) on Milkwood.
Let’s start with the drinks. The cocktail menu is great, but the key to its greatness are the names of the drinks: Smoke & Pickle, Firth of Fourth, Daisy Saves Me are but a few.
My husband loves the Toy Tiger and has a small smirk every time he orders it from the bar (with a wistful look in his eye of the good ole’ days of Bashford Manor being a nighttime destination spot). Here is the Navy Tattoo and the Dirty Pickle Back that we ordered:
The Navy Tattoo and the Dirty Pickle Back. Guess which is which?
Moving on to the dinner portion of the evening, I could just stick to the appetizer menu shown here: 
In my two trips there, I’ve had over half of these appetizers and loved all of them. Both times, I have ordered the Vietnamese Lamb Sausage and I think it’s going to become a standard starter order for me.
Vietnamese Lamb Sausage
Rock Shrimp Sausage
Here’s a sampling of the entrees on the menu:
Fish special of grouper with smoked fingerling potatoes, broccoli rabe, miso butter, tomato and fish sauce.
Briskit and Grilled Mortadella with pickles, garlic jam, biscuit crumbles and milk gravy.
Organic Beef Burger on a Pretzel Bun. Served with umami ketchup, aged cheddar, bacon and comeback slaw.
Big Plate for Two of Crispy Skin Duck with apricot hoisin and accompaniments.
The sides, like the appetizers, could stand on their own for dinner. Possibly some of the best collard greens I have ever had.
Collards and kimchi.
Cottage Fries.
It’s easy to belong to the Clean Plate Club here. We will definitely be back for more soon.
Milkwood is located in Actors Theatre. Visit their website here: milkwoodrestaurant.com
Photo credit: Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen[/ca
